Check out our Q&A with Abena below– and join us this Friday at WeWork Kinzie! (Can’t make it? Don’t forget– you can livestream CreativeMornings events from our Facebook page!)

From what I understand, you began your journey to creating Hanahana Beauty by simply creating shea products and sharing them with your family and friends. When you decided to begin selling your products, what went into defining your business’ mission?

I officially launched Hanahana Beauty in March 2017, but I started selling in December 2016 right before Christmas via Instagram.For me Hanahana’s mission to empower women of color through creating all natural products was defined before I even launched because I was making shea butter for my self and that was one of the main reason why I continued to make my own products.

What three words that start with the letter “A” would you use to describe yourself/your personality?

alluring, accessible, adventurous

Given January’s global theme of anxiety, do you have a daily or weekly practice that you tap into for self-care?

I love to start my mornings in a routine– this usually involves a form of meditation and praying and then also dancing in the mirror for 30 minutes before starting my day.

In one sentence, how does January’s global theme of anxiety play into your work?

I feel like every day managing school, Hanahana and administering therapy involves some level of anxiety from acknowledgment to management to just discussing it it in ways that will not cause more anxiety.

What three words describe how you felt after starting your business?

excited, overwhelmed, eager

What was the most surprising thing you learned after launching Hanahana Beauty?

I think the most surprising thing was truly understanding the process of making raw shea butter and realizing all the work that goes in to it.